Folding chair truck with movable end gate



March 1965 J. MACHIELSE ETAL FOLDING CHAIR TRUCK WITH MOVABLE END GATE Filed May 24, 1965 INVENTORE Jan Mac'hield'e Donald GlJwider BY M ATTORNEY WITNESS United States Patent 3,173,768 FDLDING CHAIR TRUCK WITH MGVABLE END GATE Jan Machieise, Erving B. Morgan, and Donald G. Swider,

Grand Rapids, Mich, assignors to American Seating Company, Grand Rapids, Mich, a corporation of New Jerse y Filed May 24, 1963, Ser. No. 282,893

Claims. (Cl. 280-479) The present invention relates to trucks, and more particularly to hand trucks for the storage and transfer of articles such as folding chairs.

The primary objects of the invention are to provide a folding chair truck on which folded chairs, which are relatively flat, can stand on edge in side-by-side relation so that the truck can accommodate a maximum number of chairs; to provide such a truck having a fixed end gate at one end for supporting one end of a row of chairs stored thereon, and a longitudinally movable end gate for supporting the other end of the row of chairs regard less of the length of the row of chairs, whereby when such a truck is only partially loaded the chairs cannot fall over from their edge-standing positions; and in general to provide such a truck which is simple and rugged in construction, efficient in use and reasonably economical in manufacture.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the new truck in use;

FTGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view of the truck taken on line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of a movable end gate, per se, of the truck;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view of an angle bar at one side of the truck and the movable end gate associated therewith;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view of the same taken on line 5-5 of FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view thereof taken on line 66 of FIGURE 5.

Referring now in detail to this drawing, the truck there shown is primarily intended for use in the storage and transfer of folding chairs, designated 10, but could be used for other articles particularly if the articles were elongated and relatively fiat. The truck comprises a horizontally disposed rectangular frame ll constructed of angle bar stock having a vertical flange l2 and a horizontal flange 13 extending inwardly from the bottom of the vertical flange 12. The frame 11 is mounted on casters 14.

A fixed vertical end gate 15 is mounted at one end of the frame 11 and comprises an inverted U-shaped tubular metal member spanning the frame with the lower ends of the legs of said member secured to the frame in socketed members 16 on the frame.

The folded chairs 1d are receivable on the frame 11 standing on edge in side-by-side relation spanning the frame, the chair adjacent the fixed end gate 15 being supported by said gate. A movable end gate 17 comprises an inverted U-shaped tubular metal member spanning the frame with the lower ends of the legs of said member supported on the horizontal flanges 13 of the angle bars at opposite sides of the frame. Sheet metal brackets 13 are secured to the legs of the movable end gate 17 near the lower ends thereof as by welding indicated at 19. These brackets 18 extend toward the fixed end gate 15 and downwardly outside the frame 11. The lower ends of the brackets are flanged inwardly so as to engage the undersides of the horizontal flanges 13 of the angle bars at opposite sides of the frame 11.

3,173,7fi8 Patented Mar. 16, 1965 It will readily be seen that the movable end gate 17 can be moved longitudinally on the frame so as to engage and support the end of the row of chairs 10 on the truck opposite the fixed end gate 15. Thus, even though the truck is only partially loaded and the row of chairs thereon is thus of indeterminate length, the movable end gate 17 can be moved into position to support the chairs and prevent them from toppling over.

Stops 20 on the brackets 18 extend inwardly and bear against the upper edges of the vertical flanges 12 on the angle bars at opposite sides of the frame 11 so that the movable end gate 17 is maintained in upright position even though the truck may be empty.

It will thus be seen that the invention provides a solution to the problem of the stored articles toppling over on a partially filled truck, and while but one specific embodiment of the invention has been herein shown and described it will be understood that numerous details thereof may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the following claims.

What is claimed as new:

1. A storage and transfer truck for elongated, relatively flat articles, comprising: a horizontally disposed rectangular frame mounted on casters; a fixed vertical end gate mounted at one end of said frame, said articles being receivable on said frame standing on edge in side-by-side relation spanning the frame and the article adjacent said fixed end gate being supported thereby; a movable end gate mounted on the frame for longitudinal movement thereon for supporting articles in a row of indeterminate length at said rows end opposite the fixed end gate, said movable end gate comprising an inverted U-shaped tubular metal member spanning the frame with the lower ends of the legs of said member supported on the opposite sides of the frame; and brackets mounted on the legs of the inverted U-shaped member near the lower ends thereof, said brackets extending toward the fixed end gate and downwardly and engaging beneath the frame at opposite sides thereof.

2. A truck according to claim 1 in which stops on the brackets are adapted to bear against the upper edges of the frame at opposite sides thereof.

3. A storage and transfer truck for elongated relatively flat articles, comprising: a horizontally disposed rectangular frame constructed of angle bar stock'having a vertical flange and a horizontal flange extending inwardly from the bottom of the vertical flange, said frame being mounted on casters; and a movable end gate for the truck comprising an inverted U-shaped tubular metal member spanning the frame with the lower ends of the legs of said mem ber supported on the horizontal flanges of the angle bars at opposite sides of the frame; and sheet metal brackets mounted on the legs of said movable end gate near the lower ends thereof and extending angularly downwardly outside the frame and thence inwardly to engage the un dersides of the horizontal flanges of the angle bars at opposite sides of the frame.

4. A truck according to claim 3 in which stops on the brackets extend inwardly and are adapted to bear against the upper edges of the vertical flanges of the angle bars at opposite sides of the frame.

5. A storage and transfer truck for elongated relatively flat articles, comprising: a horizontally disposed rectangu lar frame constructed of angle bar stock having a vertical flange and a horizontal flange extending inwardly from the bottom of the vertical flange, said frame being mounted on casters; a fixed vertical end gate mounted at one end of said frame and comprising an inverted U-shaped tubular metal member spanning the frame with the lower ends of the legs of said member secured to the frame, said articles being receivable on the frame standing on edge ice ,U-shaped tubular metal'member spanning the frame with the lower ends of the legs of said member supported on the horizontal flanges of the angle bars at opposite sides of the frame; sheet metal brackets mounted on the legs of said movable end gate near the lower ends thereof and extending toward the fixed end gate and downwardly outside the frame and thence inwardly to engage the under- 10 sides of the horizontal flanges of the angle bars at op- 4 posite sides of the frame; and stops on the brackets extending inwardly and adapted to bear against the upper edges of the vertical flanges of the angle bars at opposite sides of the frame.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS A. HARRY LEVY, Primary Examiner. 

1. A STORAGE AND TRANSFER TRUCK FOR ELONGATED, RELATIVELY FLAT ARTICLES, COMPRISING: A HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED RECTANGULAR FRAME MOUNTED CASTERS; A FIXED VERTICAL END GATE MOUNTED AT ONE END OF SAID FRAME, SAID ARTICLES BEING RECEIVABLE ON SAID FRAME STANDING ON EDGE ON SIDE-BY-SIDE RELATION SPANNING THE FRAME AND THE ARTICLE ADJACENT SAID FIXED END GATE BEING SUPPORTED THEREBY; A MOVABLE END GATE MOUNTED ON THE FRAME FOR LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT THEREON FOR SUPPORTING ARTICLES IN A ROW OF INDETERMINATE LENGTH AT SAID ROW''S END OPPOSITE THE FIXED END GATE, SAID MOVABLE END GATE COMPRISING AN INVERTED U-SHAPED TUBULAR METAL MEMBER SPANNING THE FRAME WITH THE LOWER ENDS OF THE LEGS OF SAID MEMBER SUPPORTED ON THE OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE FRAME; AND BRACKETS MOUNTED ON THE LEGS OF THE INVERTED U-SHAPED MEMBER NEAR THE LOWER ENDS THEREOF SAID BRACKETS EXTENDING TOWARD THE FIXED END GATE AND DOWNWARDLY AND ENGAGING BENEATH THE FRAME AT OPPOSITE SIDES THEREOF. 